Cities & Towns within Worth Township:

Alsip - Official Website - Library District Website
Blue Island
Chicago Ridge
Crestwood
Evergreen Park - Official Village Website
Hometown
Merrionette Park
Oak Lawn - Official Village Website
Palos Heights (Incorporated as a city in 1959) - Official Website
Palos Hills - Official Website
Worth - Official Village Website

Brief history of Blue Island - "The quaint town was established in 1835 as a way station for Chicago travelers on the historic Vincennes Trail. Many of the first settlers were tavern and general store keepers, blacksmiths and wagoners. Blue Island's early industry was lodging and livestock trading. By 1858, German settlers had established four breweries in the growing city, and in the 1870s, the Rock Island Railroad marked the beginning of Blue Island's transformation into a trade hub. Blue Island's early 20th century history was dominated by heavy industry-food processing, oil refining, brick making and railroads. In the latter half of the century, much of the city's heavy industry was replaced with service and retail businesses."

Blue Island: "A village of Cook County, on the Calumet River and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, the Chicago & Grand Trunk and the Illinois Central Railways, 15 miles south of Chicago. It has a high school, churches and two newspapers, besides brick, smelting and oil works. 1890 Population: 2,521. 1900 population: 6,114. Source: "Historical Enclyopedia of Illinois" 1901

Brief History of Evergreen Park - presented on the Village's website. "In June of 1950, Little Company of Mary Hospital’s name was carved in the annals of medical history when the very first human transplant – a kidney transplant operation was performed"

History of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in Midlothian: "The haunted history of the place began in 1844 when the area was set aside as a burial ground, first called "Everdon's". The cemetery saw its first burial that year and it was in steady use until 1965, when things began to drop off. It should be noted that the last actual burial here was in 1989, when the ashes of a local resident were interred on the grounds. However, before that time (and since) the place has been abandoned. In the middle 1800's, the cemetery became known as "Bachelor's Grove", although history is a bit cloudy as to how this name came about. Some have suggested that near the cemetery was a settlement of immigrants, mostly German, who had helped to build the Illinois-Michigan Canal. The settlers lived on small farms and most of the men were unmarried, so the place became known as Bachelor's Grove. Others dispute this and say the name came from a family who lived in the area named "Batchelder", although no real evidence exists to back up these claims."

There's more to this posted story, but it goes on to the more "haunted" aspects of the cemetery. And unfortunately the website where the rest of the story was posted has disappeared. Sorry....

Alsip: Holy Sepulchre, First Lutheran, Burr Oak Cemetery, Hazelgreen Cemetery
Blue Island: First Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Cedar Park Cemetery & Funeral Home, Blue Island Am. Legion, Beverly Cemetery, Lincoln Cemetery, Oak Hill
Worth: Restvale Cemetery
Palos Park: Sacred Heart Cemetery
Crestwood: Saint Benedicts Cemetery
Oak Lawn: Chapel Hills Gardens South Cemetery
Evergreen Park: Evergreen Cemetery & Mausoleum, St. Mary
Mount Greenwood, Mount Hope

1880 Mortality Index for Worth

The Reporter
12247 S. Harlem Ave.
Palos Heights, IL 60453
708-448-6161

Chicago Ridge Citizen
3840 147th St.
Midlothian, IL 60445
708-388-2425

Village View
9720 S. Parkside Ave.
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708-423-9754

The Star
Worth - Chicago Ridge Edition


The Star
Oak Forest, Crestwood, Midloathian Editions

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